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During World War II well-crafted versions such as the Thompson were replaced by mass-produced alternatives, such as the M3. The first successful assault rifle was the StG 44, introduced during World War II by the Germans. It was the first firearm to occupy the gap between rifles and submachine guns.
Chemical weapons were first used on a large scale on the battlefield in World War I, starting from 1914, despite existing international conventions that prohibited the use of such weapons. In 1915, the first propeller plane that could safely fire a machine gun through the propeller blades was invented.
Early modern warfare is the era of warfare during early modern period following medieval warfare.It is associated with the start of the widespread use of gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive, including artillery and firearms; for this reason the era is also referred to as the age of gunpowder warfare (a concept introduced by Michael Roberts in the 1950s).
The world's first submachine gun (a fully automatic firearm which fires pistol cartridges) able to be maneuvered by a single soldier is the MP 18.1, invented by Theodor Bergmann. It was introduced into service in 1918 by the German Army during World War I as the primary weapon of the Stosstruppen (assault groups specialized in trench combat).
World War I also marked the use of the Paris Gun, the longest-ranged gun ever fired. This 200 mm (8 in) caliber gun was used by the Germans to bombard Paris, and was capable of hitting targets more than 122 km (76 mi) away. [151] Royal Artillery howitzers at the Battle of the Somme. The Second World War sparked new developments in cannon ...
The word "gun" is used to describe a firearm in English for the first time. [72] 1340: China: A "watermelon bomb" containing miniature rockets known as "ground rats" is employed by Liu Bowen against rebels and pirates in Zhejiang. [73] 1344: West: Wooden cannons appear in Europe. [74] 1346: 26 August: West: Battle of Crécy: Organ guns are used ...
The Gatling gun may have been the first automatic weapon, though the modern trigger-actuated machine gun was not widely introduced until the First World War (1914–1918) with the German "Spandau" (adopted in 1908) and the British Lewis gun (in service from 1914).
Gatling gun (Pre World War 1) Field guns. Krupp 50mm Mountain Gun; Krupp 7.5 cm Model 1903; Naval artillery. BL 6-inch gun Mk V (Coast defence gun) Empire of Japan.